Now that Chris Pine has hit it big in what promises to be one of the bigger franchise reboots of the next decade, it’s interesting to see where he’ll spend his screen time when he’s not sitting off-kilter on the captain’s chair. It’s an interesting question for every star who finds their biggest success at the start of a huge franchise, and often the non-related films they make receive a fair bit of scrutiny as audiences attempt to determine whether or not the actor has a future when that franchise ends. For Chris Pine this still applies, and so his first independent drama choice since playing Kirk has an interesting level of weight behind it, and to his credit Small Town Saturday Night works in his favor, showing off a more contemplative counterbalance to his egotistical jokester from Star Trek.
No one is more tired than me of actors and actresses who want to be musicians and vice versa. Usually the foray into the new field is met with tepid response and just gets swept under the rug (The Return of Bruno, anyone?). Then you have the very small and unexpected blitz, like Samuel L. Jackson’s turn in an oft-overlooked role in Black Snake Moan, where he produced a great blues number. Well, Chris Pine is getting that out of his system right up front, and like Jackson, it’s a promising first on-screen stride.
Writer and director Ryan Craig paints a terrific portrait of small town living; where you can’t escape the reach of your family and your news is everyone’s news. Rhett Ryan (Pine) has looked forward to his final day as a gas station attendee for quite some time. His move to Nashville sits just on the horizon and he’s prepping Samantha (Bre Blair) and her daughter for the move. The plans get complicated as Samantha’s ex-husband and the town’s sheriff, Tommy (Shawn Christian), （英语影评）takes one final swing at getting her back. Amidst Tommy’s last ditch effort to reclaim his love and keep his daughter nearby, he must deal with drunken antics of his father (Muse Watson) and the unraveling of his ex-convict brother, Donny (John Hawkes), who is attempting to reassert himself in the real world but finding the small town affords him little opportunity. As Rhett struggles to get everything in order and convince Samantha that she should go with him, his brother (Adam Hendershott) struggles with self-esteem issues standing between him and any real romantic connection.
Performances are pretty square across the board with Pine and Hawkes leading the way. Pine exudes the right amount of frustration and carries the film’s lead well enough, but it’s easily Hawkes who steals the show as the manic Donny whose last hopes seem to be gradually breaking down before his eyes. His bank account is empty, his landlord is pounding on his RV door; and Hawkes nails it every step of the way. An interesting side note, Chris Pine’s father in the film is played by his real-life father Robert Pine. Bre Blair gets sidelined, for the most part, after her revelation that she’s going to stay in town, but up until that point Blair provides a convincing portrayal of a small town girl clinging to her roots. Additionally, Scott Michael Campbell turns in a rather good performance as Rhett’s best friend who seems to show up in most stories, adding to the small town portrait the film paints.
Chris Pine’s single “Someday Came Today” comes at the film’s final concert send-off for Rhett. It’s a simple country tune but it wraps up the film well enough and gives the film, like Rhett, an appropriate close to the time spent in the small town. It will be interesting to see how Pine pursues the musical side of his career, but for the sake of this film he gives a solid turn in both acting and singing.
The direction and cinematography never get too creative, but there are a few moments where the camera switches to a shakier style in moments of high tension, but otherwise it follows pretty traditional paths.
Small Town Saturday Night is a great choice for an evening flick and delivers with solid direction, writing, and a very strong cast.
